John Legend Takes Inspiration From His ‘Ordinary People’ Video for Cinematic ‘Fireflies’ Visual
Fully produced by Pharrell, the Grammy-winning singer's Muse album arrives next month.
John Legend and Pharrell Williams have been close friends for over two decades and are set to release their first collaborative album, with Pharrell producing all of Legend's upcoming Muse LP, which is due out on October 23 through Republic Records. The pair joined forces for the second single, "Fireflies," released on September 25.
The music video for "Fireflies" showcases Legend performing on his Yamaha piano before a pristine white backdrop, evoking the visual from his 2004 hit "Ordinary People" from the Get Lifted album. The ballad, produced by will.i.am, reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, alongside nominations for Song of the Year and Best R&B Song.
Legend expressed that Pharrell's vision was to create a lavish, cinematic aesthetic reminiscent of a Black James Bond film, infused with a contemporary beat. He explained, "Pharrell's idea from the beginning was that we would create something with all of these classic, cinematic elements, this Black James Bond aesthetic. But with a modern backbeat at its foundation." The result is a fresh fusion of their combined talents, as both artists bring their unique styles to the table.
"Fireflies" follows "Daylight," the lead single from Legend's Muse album, which features 16 tracks in total, including an appearance from Clipse. The Ohio-born artist was scheduled to perform at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, September 26, but the festival was ultimately canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions in the Northeast. Watch the "Fireflies" video below.
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